We all feel like quitting from time to time. I think it is part of human nature to want to give up and quit. There can be circumstances or surprises that life throws our way that makes it feel like it is all too hard to continue. So quitting seems like the logical choice.
As I have already stated, we have all felt like quitting. I once considered quitting myself. I was 16 years old and had already had 10 years worth of piano lessons by this stage. The reason why I considered quitting, for only about 5 minutes, is because I had broken my wrist and I knew that my wrist would be painful when playing the piano once the cast was off. I was right – it was very painful to play the piano for the next year.
So I understand quitting, because I almost did it myself. Life had thrown me a curve ball and I didn’t know that I could do what it took to fully recover and be able to play the piano pain free. In other areas of my life I have quit doing things and lived to regret it.
At times, quitting can seem like the easiest response to a challenge or difficulty, but the problem with quitting, is that it only looks at the short term. It does not take into account the long term. In my experience, quitting is often regretted in the long term.
If you are quitting, it usually means you are stopping because you are at a low. If you are happy with your circumstances, that can impact how much you can play the piano, then stopping (as opposed to quitting) is perfectly acceptable. I remember teaching these 2 sisters for about 4 years and one lesson, before the end of the year and holidays, both sisters told me that they didn’t want to take piano lessons because they had learned all they had wanted to learn. They were rather surprised when I seemed please for them and I had to explain that I was pleased because they had finished learning what they had set out to learn. They were not quitting at all.
If you have been taking piano lessons and feel you have enough information and skill to keep playing by yourself, then finishing lessons is a logical step. However, if circumstances are somewhat negative and you feel like quitting, I suggest you keep going and wait until you feel more positive about your circumstances. You might find that you want to keep playing, or you still might want to give up. At least if you quit this way, you reduce the chance that you might regret your decision later on.